Apart from the common sense safety practices which go without saying, there is always one rule to doing it yourself. “Patience”. It takes time and patients to be a DIY person. Without this, you will run into all sorts of difficulty, make mistakes, panic, become angry and put yourself and others into very real danger. Other than that, always find out and read all the safety rules for every tool and material you intend to use.

I f you are not going for a windowed garage, I will first introduce you to the materials needed to build the foundations, doors and siding. The terminology may be new to you, so allow me to explain each one.

Foundation materials needed

Visqueen: Brand of plastic sheeting used to cover concrete as it sets.

Wooden forms: This will be used as a temporary structure for the footings of the foundation.

Sand or gravel: Used to reinforce the concrete and bedding.

Concrete:

Wiremesh: Used to reinforce the concrete.

Vermiculite: Mineral used as bulk insulation and also as aggregate concrete flooring insulation.

Sheathing- composition board: This is the structural wood panel sometimes made of plywood or OSB.

Fascia: Roof drains and gutters are attached to this. These are horizontal boards which attach to the rafters or truss ends.

Flashing: Sheet metals and other material used in rooves and wall constructions to protect a building from water seepage.

Plywood for Soffits: Soffits are the areas below the eaves and overhangs. The undersides where the roof overhangs the walls.

HDG (hot dip galvanised) Finishing Nails: Nails used for finishing

Garage door: The front garage door is usually made of aluminium. The door has a manual opening mechanism or remote control auto-opening mechanism which allows easy access to the garage whilst maintaining security to the house.

Garage door sealer: Flexible sealing strips like the Tsunami Seal® set at the horizontal threshold of the garage to prevent water, dirt and rodents from entering the garage. Since the garage is also often one of the least insulation tolerant rooms in the house, the sealer is also used to help insulate the garage through winter months.

Crown moulding: A moulding used on the cornice (Overhang of a pitched roof, usually consisting of a fascia board, a soffit and appropriate trim mouldings) or wherever an interior angle is to be covered, especially at the roof and wall corner.

Passage door and lock: The passage door leading into the house with dual -locks.

Caulking: A flexible material used to seal gaps between two surfaces e.g. between pieces of siding , the corners in tub walls or for sealing garage door sealers. Caulking is also used to prevent leakage and aid insulation.

The above are materials necessary for foundations, sides and doors. Other materials needed for roofing and wall framing will be looked at in later articles. Most materials can be purchased at hardware stores or from building merchants. Garage door sealers for keeping your garage clean and aiding with insulation can be purchased online at the garageaccessories R Us website. Installation of the door sealer is simple and takes less than thirty minutes. The kit comes with all the tools you need including adhesives and a caulking gun. The seal works well for all types of garage floors and carries a lifetime guarantee.